


Across Stars; Across Time

by OrderOfRevan



Series: Revan of the New Republic [2]
Category: Star Wars Legends: Knights of the Old Republic, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: An AU of an AU, F/M, KOTFR Verse, jedifest 2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-08 13:52:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8847571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrderOfRevan/pseuds/OrderOfRevan
Summary: For the prompt "Anakin and Padme become a tabloid sensation".





	

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, I do apologize, but I managed to cram this into the continuity of Knights of the Fallen Republic, which means Revan will make an appearance. It was the easiest way for me to get the inspiration to write it and have a framework for the interactions. 
> 
> That being said, this piece is still primarily for you, dear anonymous prompt provider. The focus is Anidala and the drama unfolding around them as a result of someone leaking the information about their relationship to the public. 
> 
> This isn’t as silly as I wanted it to be, but I did try to make the ending hopeful. 
> 
> In that vein, I hope it’s what you wanted.

It was like any other day. 

There was nothing particularly remarkable about the day that Anakin woke up to seven messages on his holocomm, light streaming through the window of Padme’s high rise the same as it always did. Nothing had changed about the quiet, charged tension the world brought with it every morning, and everything still felt full of possibility and promise for a better future, even with the threat of war around them. 

And then reality came crashing down around him the moment he reached over to his bedside and saw an alert from the Jedi Council, immediately followed by messages from Obi-Wan and Jorren. 

It was Obi-Wan’s message he looked at first, listening to the frantic pleadings of his old Master via holorecording -- Vague without the context, as usual, and filled with the false calm Obi-Wan always employed when he was pretending he didn’t care. All Anakin could glean from the deceptively cool message was that something bad had happened, that that something bad involved Anakin, and that that something had reached the ears of the Jedi Council. 

Glancing over at Padme, not wanting to wake her, Anakin slipped from underneath the sheets and walked out into the den, staring out the massive window at the city below and around him. Reaching up with his mechanical hand, he rubbed the back of his head, tangling the fingers in his hair, distracted by the beauty of Coruscant for a moment, awash in the pale light of morning reflecting off the skyscrapers. 

It was more calming than any meditation, he thought, and the decided to take the blow and listen the recording the Jedi Council had left him. 

He’d probably be talking to Jorren later, anyway. 

Anakin would always love Obi-Wan, but there was something to be said for the practical advice of a man who had done everything the Jedi Council hated and somehow still come out on top. 

“Young Skywalker,” began the message in Yoda’s rough voice. “Most disturbing news the Jedi Council has discovered on the holonet today. Rumors of a relationship with Senator Amidala, there are.” 

Anakin was secretly glad that Yoda didn’t cut many corners, though his heart leapt into his throat, the context of Obi-Wan’s message suddenly falling into stark contrast. Apparently, his old Master was terrified that the rumors were true… Which of course, Anakin thought, trying to fight down the sudden wave of panic that threatened to overwhelm him, was true. 

Master Windu’s voice brought him back to reality, gave Anakin the strength to be  _ angry _ rather than  _ afraid _ . 

Anger was a motivating emotion, and it was pretty kriffing easy to be angry at Master Windu sometimes. 

“The Jedi Council demands immediate compliance, Skywalker. You are to show up to answer for these rumors as soon as possible.” 

Not waiting to hear the rest of the message, Anakin shut it off before Padme could hear the voices and slipped down into one of the large chairs facing the mirrored walls. His first inclination was to call Chancellor Palpatine, but he quickly squashed that instinct -- 

The Chancellor was too important, and wasn’t involved enough in Jedi Politics. He probably could do something about whoever had published the article on the holonet, or maybe help Anakin track the source of the leak, but that didn’t really address his main issue. Right now, he had to find some way to stay with the Jedi, or his ability to fight in the war would be completely jeopardized, and there were trillions of people throughout the galaxy who needed him. 

Not to mention Rex and the 501st. 

Running his hand through his hair again, Anakin stared at the last notification before he decided that he might as well hear what Jorren had to say. 

Somehow, in spite of being just as rebellious and wilful as Anakin himself was, Jorren always managed to avoid having the judgement of the council dropped on him. Maybe it was because he was legitimately  _ friends _ with Master Fisto and Master Plo-Koon, though honestly that didn’t seem to explain all of it. 

Playing the last message he cared about, Anakin leaned back in his chair and watched the scarred face of Master Shan as the man rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, beginning his message. “Skywalker -- Listen. We need to talk. Probably not over the holonet -- I don’t really feel comfortable with everything I say being a data stream any sufficiently skilled slicer can access… Just… Call me. Soon. We need to meet and… There are some things I need to tell--” 

“Ani?” 

Anakin immediately shut off the transmission, but from the look on Padme’s face, she had heard most of Jorren’s message. Her slender arms crossed over her chest, she looked fragile in her pale gown, especially against the backdrop of the early morning city, lit so that she looked like the Angels he’d heard about from Spacers all those years ago. 

Standing up, he crossed the room and wrapped her in his arms, her head falling against his chest as he stroked his fingers slowly through her hair. 

Anakin’s mind raced, a million thoughts pod racing through the landscape of his brain. He tried to keep his emotions in check, but eventually gave up, letting himself feel the sudden crashing sense of despair as he clutched Padme closer, his rock and shelter in every storm, his only hope. 

“Ani, what’s wrong?” Padme asked again, pulling away slightly, reaching up to grasp his face in both of her small hands. 

As usual, he felt his resistance to her crumbling, closing his eyes as he leaned into her touch. “It’s been a long morning,” he said, voice rough from sleep and emotion. “I’m afraid.” 

“Afraid…?” Padme’s voice was quiet, and Anakin opened his eyes, gazing down into her face. 

“The Jedi Council knows,” he said. “Somehow. About us.” 

Anakin took a deep breath as he watched the emotions flicker across her face, feeling them slap across his senses like circuits firing. Confusion, distress, sadness, anger… Determination. Everything he loved about Padme sparking in the depths of her brown eyes as she pulled away from him. “What are you going to tell them?” 

“I don’t know,” he admitted, his arms feeling empty and useless without her in them. “I think, before I talk to the Jedi Council, I need to talk to Obi-Wan and Jorren.”

Padme nodded sternly. “I’ll do what I can to find the source of the leak. I have plenty of contacts that might be able to help us.” Her expression softened, and she stepped toward him, cupping his face with one of her hands once more. “It will be okay, Anakin. We’ll find a way to make this all work out.” 

Raising his hand to cover hers, Anakin closed his eyes again, taking his strength from her touch. 

She was the center of his Galaxy. 

“I want to believe you,” he said after a moment, “but I have a feeling things are going to go a lot better on your end than they are on mine.” 

Padme smiled at him sadly, but said nothing, holding her hand against his skin only a moment longer before she turned to go prepare for the day ahead. 

 

\---

 

The streets of Coruscant were always busy, ridiculously so, no matter what time of day. In some ways, it was almost faster to walk through your neighborhood than it was to fly using a speeder. As it was, Anakin had just opted to take one of the taxis to the district where Master Jorren Shan had promised to meet him that afternoon, after he had Obi-Wan had had a three hour long holocall about the situation at hand. 

Obi-Wan, always useful, had possessed all the relevant facts, even if he had plenty of “advice”  to offer, advice that Anakin had no intention of taking. Turning himself in to the Jedi Council, for example, admitting that he was in a relationship with Padme when the covers on the tabloid in question only showed them leaning close to one another -- The salacious headline boasting something about forbidden affairs among the Jedi Ranks and the terrible political implications of a Jedi having an intimate relationship with a senator. 

Anakin knew that instance, though, and could just as easily argue that she had been leaning close to whisper important information in his ear. 

Obi-Wan didn’t buy it, but Anakin had always suspected Obi-Wan had known… And with that business with Satine, he had no right to tell Anakin that he was letting his attachments get the better of him. Something they both knew, because Obi-Wan had never once mentioned attachments or the Jedi Code, only the wisdom of being honest with the Council to avoid causing further waves. 

He was convinced the Council would be forgiving. 

Anakin remembered Windu’s face, and sincerely doubted his old Master’s confidence. 

Of course, he’d been wrong before, but this time, he didn’t think he was. 

Anakin walked into the little cafe in one of the Old Market Districts, noticing Jorren right away. He was a shabby sort of old human Jedi with greying dark brown hair, dark eyes, stubble, and pale skin. He might not have stood out if it weren’t for his impressive height and the grisly scars that circled his face, the burns from some kind of an old mask being momentarily seared there. 

He’d asked Jorren about it once, but the man had only smiled, as infuriatingly cryptic as both Yoda and Master Kenobi could be when given free reign, and talked it it being a keepsake from an old battle. 

Right now, the usually unassuming man looked pale and tired with dread, leaving Anakin to wonder if he looked much better himself as he slipped into the seat opposite of Master Shan. 

“Good to see you up and about, Skywalker,” Jorren said. “I think at least five people looked up when you walked in, but only two of them kept staring. Looks like I chose a good location for our talk.” 

“This place is basically a slum, Master. I don’t even know how you learned about it.” Anakin said, not exactly condemning the place, considering where he’d grown up.

Still, it was an odd choice. 

“Back during the time of some of the greatest Jedi Masters and Sith Lords to ever live, this was a thriving metropolis. The city keeps going up, because that’s the only way it can go, but once this was the top and only the creme of the crop shopped here -- Or at least,” Master Shan said with a cryptic half smile, “the mildly respectable.” 

“Another history lesson, Master?” Anakin sighed. “I thought we were here to discuss something important.”

Smirking Jorren stopped smirking, brow furrowing deeply as he leaned forward, lacing his fingers together on the table in front of him. “Let’s talk about love, Skywalker. Love… and marriage, and everything that it means to men like you and I.” 

For a moment, Anakin was tempted to deny the tabloid’s cover as gossip, just like he had with Obi-Wan. There was something about Jorren, though, something that made Anakin think that even if he did decide to cover this up, the erstwhile Jedi Master wouldn’t exactly go telling anyone on the Council about it.

It was then that Anakin’s eyes caught the glint of light reflecting off of something metal on Master Shan’s left hand -- a glint of old metal, tarnished and worn.

A wedding band. 

Anakin’s eyes flicked upwards to find Master Shan already staring at him, understanding in his face, and for a moment, Anakin was back on Naboo, holding Padme’s small but calloused hands in his. The sunset illuminated them, and he had never seen a woman look so beautiful in his entire life, glorious in that dress, her eyes so full of love… 

He had never expected to find another Jedi who might know the same feelings he had on that day. 

“Yeah, that’s right, Skywalker, me too,” Jorren said, running a rugged hand over his face. “Difference is, you’ve still got time with Senator Amidala. I’ve worked with her before, by the way… Nice girl. Good fit, I think. She probably keeps you grounded, Space Case.” 

Anakin was tempted to laugh, but something in the lines of Master Shan’s face stopped him from doing so. Instead, he ran the fingers of his fleshy hand along the edge of his mechanical hand. “So I guess you’re going to give me some sage advice now?” He said instead, feeling bitter about the whole situation, uncomfortable at how he felt obligated to drag this out into the light. 

He wanted to protect Padme. 

How could he do that if he wasn’t a Jedi? 

“Something like that,” Jorren said, letting Anakin’s tone slide off of him as if he hadn’t even noticed; Anakin kept that tone in mind for dealing with Ahsoka. “Listen, Anakin, the most important thing for you to do right now is to decide on whatever you’re going to do  _ with _ Padme. Don’t do it on your own. You agreed to be united, agreed that your union was the Will of the Force in your marriage vows. Don’t forsake that now.” 

Anakin froze visibly, partly in shock. 

Of all the tings for a Jedi to say about love and marriage, even a formerly married Jedi, he certainly hadn’t expected  _ that _ . There were other Masters in the Order, after all, who had had their marriages approved by the Council for various reasons, but watching the way Jorren fiddled with his wedding band now, nervously, half-distracted… 

“When you were younger, did you get caught with your lover?” Anakin asked, motioning toward the ring with a jerk of his head. 

“We went in the face of all Jedi tradition,” Master Shan replied, his dark eyes distant, though he was smiling fondly -- the way he did when recounting some of his old “Jedi Tales”, as Anakin had taken to calling them. “The two of us defied the Jedi Council just to be together. She wanted to defy them further, but they offered us a deal, and unlike you and Padme, young whirlwind lovers, I was quite a bit older than her. I went for the more subdued option of living in peace.” 

“It didn’t… work out?” Anakin asked hesitantly, fearing what could become of Padme if he wasn’t careful, terrified of the threat of losing her. 

He regretted asking a moment later when the Master’s face fell; there were few Jedi Masters besides Obi-Wan he cared about upsetting, but he’d known Master Shan since he was young… And… 

“I went on my mission, and when I came back, she was long gone,” Jorren explained. “We all lose things, Anakin. Loss is a part of life. But there’s no harm in my missing her. We didn’t have very long together at all, after all.” 

And, like him, Jorren Shan seemed to be the only Jedi in the Galaxy who struggled with his attachments. 

“I shouldn’t have asked that.”

“Don’t beat yourself up, Anakin, just take my advice. It would make me feel a lot better,” the old Jedi leaned back in his chair and smiled again,  the expression not quite as touched by sadness. “Don’t go behind her back. Don’t go running off and doing things without telling her. I did, and… Let me tell you, I regret it. More than I can possibly say.” 

“So whether I decide to confront the Council about this or not, you want me to talk to Padme about it first,” Anakin said, the advice some of the most genuine he’d ever received, if only because it didn’t sound like Master Shan was trying to tell him what to do… It just sounded like Master Shan cared. “That… I think I can do that.” 

“Good,” Master Shan said, standing, his ancient lightsaber, one he’d said he’d recovered from a ruin, hanging at his side. 

It was made of composite alloys that were so old they made Yoda look like a youngling… One day, he’d have to ask about that, Anakin decided. He didn’t know whether he’d ever get an answer, though. 

“No matter what you do, don’t hesitate to call on me,” the old man said as he turned away. “Whether you’re lying through your teeth or coming clean about the love affair of the millennium, I’d like to see you both through it.” 

He stroked that old blade absently for a moment, and then looked over his shoulder with a smile.

“You remind me of an old friend. It would be a shame to see you come to the same fate, in the end.” 

And without an explanation, reminding Anakin once again that Jorren was as mystical as Yoda even if he did have a bit of a wild streak, the old Jedi turned and left the little cafe. 

 

\---

 

Anakin was true to his word when it came to oaths of friendship and loyalty. 

Besides, it was impossible not to act after hearing the sincerity and conviction with Master Shan spoke. He could see why the man had risen so quickly through the ranks of the Jedi, a General to rival any of the other Jedi Generals fighting in the Clone Wars. 

Maybe even Anakin himself, he thought with a small smile, his eyes scanning the finely dressed shapes of the Senate building, nearly as ornate as their surroundings. He doubted he’d ever be used to it, the opulence of the Senate and everything about this district of Coruscant. To this day he was more comfortable in simple clothing and crowded market places than he was in the metropolitan districts Padme frequented.  

It was one of the concessions he’d made for her, adjusting to her way of life. 

If he had to make other concessions, he would. 

He walked with purpose, glad that the Jedi Order decided to keep internal problems internal… Though he still received looks. He hadn’t noticed before it was mentioned to him, after all, he’d been focused on something else, but now that it had been pointed out, he couldn’t help but see all the turning heads. Anakin hadn’t checked his holocomm all day or even bothered to look at the holonet, but he was sure now it would be rife with rumors 

Anakin Skywalker and Senator Amidala cohabitating?! A look inside their love nest! 

He ran a hand over his face, distracting himself from his purpose, practically jumping out of his skin when a hand touched his arm. Spinning around more quickly than any non-Sensitive person could have managed, Anakin only relaxed when he found himself looking into the face of a concerned Padme. 

In the shadow of the Senate building’s sheltering pillars, he relaxed. 

Few could see them here, and he melted into her touch.

“Anakin?” she asked. “What are you doing here? I thought you would be talking to the Jedi Council by now.”

“I wanted to see you first,” he said, feeling foolish and awkward all the sudden. “I… I… Uh… Was talking with someone else and I decided to come and talk this over with you.” 

He was careful not to take her hands and hold them in his, lamenting the moment when her hand drew away. 

Instead, he focused on her face, watching her blink her pretty, dark eyes at him. For a moment, she didn’t seem sure what to say, but then she smiled, seemingly reaching up to run her hands through her own hair before she remembered how carefully her hairpiece was arranged. Instead, he watched her fine fingers dance to the front of her dress, where they tangled themselves in the fabric. 

“You want to talk this over with me?” Padme asked. 

“I don’t tell you as many things as I should,” Anakin said, keeping his voice low as he leaned against the pillar, staring out at the massive atrium. “It’s not on purpose, I just… get so caught up in my own mind I forget to let even you in.” 

He could feel her sympathetic gaze on him, and for a moment, he felt his stomach churn with guilt. Anakin should make a point of confiding in her more… The one person who loved him more than any other. It was just so hard to face her, because he did love her so much… And even though he loved Obi and Ahsoka, they were both still Jedi. There were rules for how to interact with them. 

Padme, even after all these years, was still new ground. 

“It’s okay, Anakin,” Padme said softly, the fabric of her skirts ruffling. “You’re talking to me now. Do you want to know what I think we should do?” 

“I need to be able to protect you,” he said, voice rougher than he had meant it to be. “I don’t know if I can do that if I leave the Order.” 

“Anakin, I don’t want you to lie to the Jedi Council if it’s going to get you in trouble,” she said, voice obstinate, a tone he recognized from Tatooine and Geonosis. “What would they do if they found out you had lied to them?” 

“What will they do to us if I don’t lie?” Anakin asked her, looking into her face. “I’m not afraid about going hungry… I know you’ll take care of me. But if they take my lightsaber… If I lose the Jedi… How I can protect  you or anyone I care about?” 

“You’re not strong because you’re a Jedi, Anakin. There are plenty of other ways you can help people.” She reached out to touch his mechanical hand, turning it over in her grasp and staring at the palm before glancing quietly up into his face. “You did amazing things before you were a Jedi. Remember Naboo? I know you, Ani. You could find another way. I just want you to be safe while at home. I worry about you enough when you’re away.” 

“This is all I’ve wanted since I was a little boy,” he said, pulling his hand away gently, not wanting to give anyone else the chance to stare at them and make assumptions. “The power to make sure the people that I care about are safe. Even if that means putting myself in danger in the process.” 

He thought about his mother, about the Sand People, and felt a shiver of something dark go through him again. That something terrified, not because he didn’t know what it was. No, Anakin had long ago identified what had happened on Tatooine as an act of the Dark Side. 

Anakin was afraid because he’d  _ liked _ it. 

He’d liked it and Padme was the only one who understood and had forgiven him anyway.

It was then he knew he loved her, not… Not just the infatuation he’d felt before. 

What did all of that say about him? 

“You don’t need to be a Jedi to protect people,” Padme said. “Captain Rex isn’t a Jedi.  _ I’m _ not a Jedi. Besides, they can’t cut you off from the Force.” 

“Don’t say that,” Anakin told her, “because I’m pretty sure they actually can.” He continued before she could respond, not wanting to discuss the extent of the power the Jedi possessed. “I know other people are strong… This is just… It’s such a big part of who I  _ am _ . I’m not sure I’m ready to give it up.” 

For a moment, all was quiet. 

Anakin couldn’t bring himself to look at her, not sure what she was thinking, sure he’d be able to read his face if he could see it. He couldn’t stand the anticipation, but looking at her and knowing she disapproved of his reasoning would be worse. 

“Ani, it’s okay if you want to lie. I know you won’t leave me if you do,” she said at long last, her voice soft, full of affection as it always was. “We’ll just have to be more careful from now on.”

She paused, and then laughed softly. “Besides, having this run in the tabloids will make anything we actually do in public look much more tame compared to the rumors. There’s no way reasonable people will believe we’re involved now.” 

All the tension he hadn’t realized he’d been holding drained from him and he finally brought himself to smile. “True. And I know I can convince them that the tabloids are just taking our friendship too far. That same zine posts other ridiculous things about half-Hutt, half-Twi’leki love children trying to take over the Galaxy.” 

“You… Make a compelling argument,” Padme said, her laugh growing louder before she looked over her shoulder, where Anakin could see the tall, dark shape of Senator Organa waiting for her. “I have to go, Anakin. I’m still going to try and find out who leaked the story to the tabloid in the first place.”

“Keep me in the loop,” he replied, “and I’ll be sure to do the same.” 

Padme gave him a small, polite smile to say farewell, but he knew in her mind and heart they were embracing. He watched her petite frame grow smaller for a long moment before finally turning on his holocomm to notice he’d gotten 12 more calls since this morning, half of them from Ahsoka, he rest from Obi-Wan and the Jedi Council, save for the stray call from Rex. 

Always a concerned friend.

Ignoring them in favor of doing damage control later, he decided to take Master Shan up on his offer of support. 

He’d rather not face Master Windu alone, and besides… Jorren probably owed him for something anyway. 

Anakin would deal with the details later, though.

For now, he had a holocall to make. 


End file.
